The question was – how to respond to the current challenges of public transportation in small and medium-sized Central European cities: decline of customers, difficult long-term planning, and suburban connectivity gaps?
As an answer, OPTI-UP emerged as a project aimed at improving this situation and fostering more eco-friendly urban mobility systems. By pooling resources and receiving support from the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme, with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund, the partnership formed among Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia.
Over the next two years, the project will establish the data-driven and strategic foundations necessary for green public transport integrated with urban planning. The partners will test new solutions for demand-responsive transport, intelligent route planning, and fleet optimization across six pilot settings.
Setting the Stage
To inaugurate the collaborative endeavor in revolutionizing public transportation, the project partners and stakeholders meet in Zagreb, Croatia for a project kick-off.
This gatering provided an overview of the project, elucidating its vision for transforming public transportation. It outlined the project’s scope and work packages, spanning from analysis and planning to solution creation, dissemination, and replication.
Additionally, a review of the project’s organization and communication plan was conducted to enhance visibility.
To commence the efforts, a workshop focused on the project’s initial phase was held, facilitating an exchange of experiences and insights.
Finally, the session concluded with key takeaways, delineating subsequent steps.
What’s Next?
With the project officially underway and off to a strong start, as stated in the kick-off wrap-up, it’s time to harness the power of partnership and delve into analysis and planning. These endeavors will culminate in the development of a toolkit and strategy to transform public transportation, the primary goal of the project.
For more information, stay updated by visiting the official project website or following the LinkedIn page.